Don't Tie Me Down
by Heart of the Matter
Summary: Letting her go was the right thing to do. 'Since when have you been the one to do the right thing'


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**Disclaimer - These are not my characters. I just like to play around with them.**

**A/N - This idea has been on my mind since I watched the end of Episode 10 in Season 1 of Gossip Girl (the bit with Nate and Blair on the bed). It really came to life though through the though of an alternate ending to SiriuslyBwitched's fiction 'Within You', which was quite heartbreaking if I might add.**

**Don't Tie Me Down**

She stood before him, eyes bloodshot, skin flushed. Of course it wouldn't have lasted. She was independent and the thing she cherished most in her life was her freedom. She wanted to stay, wanted to remain in his arms forever, but right now all she could see with him was a caged life, and that was her biggest fear.

Sirius Black was far from being granted his freedom. He lived inside the dark walls of Grimmauld Place, never setting foot into the outer world, for fear of being convicted and taken away from the people he loved. Harry had been trying his best to prove his innocence, but it was difficult and they hadn't gotten any further with the case since its filing six months ago, a few days after Sirius returned from the Veil.

He stood in his bedroom, facing his savior, the woman he loved, the woman who he couldn't bear to lose, now having to let her go.

"How much longer can I keep hiding away Sirius? I feel like a hypocrite!"

"A hypocrite? How the bloody hell do you feel like that?"

He didn't want to scream at her. It just… came out. He wanted to cradle her in his arms and tell her that everything would be alright. Then why wasn't he?

"I go around preaching to the world about goodness and what is right! I can't hide my relationship from my friends and family, lying to them every step of the way, making excuses for everything from reasons to being late, or being away, or never having a date. I'm lying to them about stupid little everyday things and it just kills me to have to face them and know that I have lied and also that they will never know about us! I _want _them to know about us Sirius!"

Sirius wanted to tell them, but he was afraid. He didn't want to lose his relationship with Harry and he didn't want to have all of her friends alienate her. He did not want to tell them, for _her_ better good. _Then explain this to her why don't you?!_

"Sirius I can't do this anymore. I cannot be tied down by this relationship."

She turned and began to walk away.

Sirius knew that she had always been independent. He wanted to stop her, but that wouldn't be the right thing to do. He loved her more than anything in the world. Hell, he would just have to deal with what the others thought if it meant that he could keep her forever! But she was a free spirit, and he couldn't live with being someone who tied her down.

Letting her go was the right thing to do. _Since when have you been the one to do the right thing?!_

Sirius ran out of his bedroom and down the stairs. He crossed the corridor and she turned to face him in surprise as he pinned her to the door before she had a chance to open it.

"Don't leave me."

"I… I have to."

"No! You don't! We'll tell them. We'll tell them all whatever you want! If they accept us, brilliant!"

She couldn't believe that he had said that. She had wanted him to stop her from leaving. She wanted him to run to her and tell her never to leave, that they would face their friends and family. Now that he was here, doing what she had hoped, she couldn't believe her eyes.

How could she have thought that her freedom and independence was the most important thing in her life? She may have been angry now, but she had a feeling that a few days without him would have her realizing that, truthfully, _he_ was the most important part of her life, the only thing she needed to survive.

"And if they don't?"

"Then to hell with them. We'll run away. We'll go somewhere where no one knows us and have a family."

"A- a family?" Now she was dumbstruck.

With one swift motion, Sirius slid his arm under her knees and scooped her into his arms. He walked quickly back up the stairs and into his bedroom. Placing her on the bed, he ran to his dresser, rummaging through it madly. She got up on her knees, still on the bed, trying to look above his shoulders in vain.

Sirius cursed as he found what he was looking for and reached her in a matter of seconds, climbing onto the bed, and standing on his knees so that they were opposite each other. She looked at him, genuinely curious and he extracted a small navy blue box, holding it between them. He opened it slowly, revealing a beautiful ring, white gold, encrusted with a 1.5 carat princess cut diamond, with a single tear-drop ruby on each side. Inside, engraved in the gold was the phrase 'Forever yours'.

"Hermione Granger, I am head-over-heels barking mad in love with you. Marry me."

Hermione stared at into his eyes, startled by what she saw. He looked at her, so sincerely, with so much love, that she was surprised that she had never seen it before. He had never told her openly that he loved her and now, the intensity of it all overwhelmed her. She pursed her lips, nodding vigorously because she couldn't form the words and bring them out. She lifted her hand and he placed the ring on her finger, kissing her, conveying to her the rush of emotions that he felt; the happiness, relief and hope for a beautiful future with her, and they only broke apart when both were gasping for breath.

She looked up into his eyes once more as she steadied her breath and a tear slid down the side of her face, despite her efforts to stop it. Sirius lifted his hand to her chin, and leaned down, kissing her tear away.

"I love you, Hermione. And I will love you forever. _Never_… try to leave me again. It will be useless because I won't let you."

She ran her hand through his long hair, pulling his face towards hers again, and their lips met in what needy hopeless finesse they could create, both knowing that they were in this together.

They were in this forever.

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